New Arrival: Bulova Precisionist Claremont

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My interest for watches seems to have gone into hibernation until i came across the Bulova Precisionist Claremont. I'm not much of a fan for quartz watches (IMO, one is enough in anyone's collection) but this Precisionist movement is not exactly your everyday quartz. For a start, it has a sweeping second hand instead of one that ticks every second. In addition, it should satisfy even the most hardcore obsessed fans of accuracy with its performance of +/- 10 secs a YEAR. This puts it in place amongst the top HEQs.


More info about this new movement: http://www.bulovaprecisionist.com/en...-precisionist/.


Specs for the Claremont: http://www.bulovaprecisionist.com/en...remont/96b129/





Enough with the talk, here are the pics ...



The sunken markers may not be everyone's cup of tea but they do add a multi-layer visual effect to the dial. The hour and min hands are lumed (barely). I would prefer stronger lume but since this is more of a dress piece, i'm still fine with it.








Another unique feature of this model is the curved crystal







A signed crown (non screw down as its only 30M WR). A higher WR rating like 100m would be preferred for added assurance. A nice touch though is the brushed finishing for the crown guard. A polished finish can easily result in smudges when setting the time/date.







A straight 22mm solid link, solid end link SS bracelet. Though it feels rather light, it does the job of keeping the watch in place without wobbling. There's no nasty hair pulling experience with this one. The only thing i didnt quite like is the lack of a half link for sizing. I've got no issues with sizing for a comfortable fit but it can be difficult centering the clasp without a half link, depending on your wrist size. You can also tell from this pic that the caseback is pretty flat. As such, the watch sits low and wears comfortably on the wrist.







A hidden Bulova signed clasp (butterfly design) with a push button release







Wrist shot ...










The highlight of this model, the Precisionist movement with a smooth sweeping second hand. The movement operates the sec hand at 16Hz. A typical 28,800bph automatic operates at 8Hz and a 21,600bph automatic movement does it at 6Hz. As such, the ticking is almost imperceptible to the naked eyes (silent too!). It may not be as seamless as what you get with a Seiko spring drive but its still much smoother than automatics, even those with a high beat 36,000bph movement. Setting time with this movement is easy and similar to a typical 3-hand automatic. Pulling the crown out to the 1st position sets the date and the 2nd position sets the time while stopping the sec hand. Unlike some earlier reports of this movement, the tolerance is tight and there's hardly any free play with the hands and the crown.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aan6xFbCaZY&fmt=22





My initial impression of this watch is rather positive. This watch gives you the convenience of a quartz powered time piece without some of the quirks. Having a ticking sec hand for example, especially one that misses the markers simply irritates me. For a rather small price, you are getting one of the most accurate wrist watch in the market. You'll probably only need to set the time once after each battery change (3 years). It has an unmistakable unique design with the curve crystal. With an appropriately sized case and a matching SS bracelet, this one looks great and wears well on the wrist.